1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a device capable of generating print data from embroidery data used to embroider an embroidering pattern on fabric.
2. Description of Related Art
An embroidering device, having a function of generating a bitmap image of an embroidery pattern from embroidery data (i.e., a so-called stitch data containing a plurality of needle drop points) and printing out the bitmap image on fabric in addition to having a function of embroidering patterns on fabric, has been proposed. An example of such an embroidering device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. HEI 11-76662 (hereafter, refereed to as JP-11-76662A).
As a technique for generating image data from embroidery data, it is disclosed in JP-11-76662A that a contour line is obtained for each of embroidery regions contained in embroidery data, and image data of the whole of an area defined by the contour line is generated for each embroidery region. In the embroidery data, a color designation code representing a thread color is contained at the top portion of each embroidery region. Therefore, by associating a color designation code with corresponding image data, it becomes possible to display and print out images of the embroidery regions in colors respectively corresponding to the color designation codes of the embroidery regions.
There is a demand for making fabric (e.g., a T-shirt) having an aesthetic design by harmonizing goodness of printing with goodness of embroidering. However, the technique disclosed in JP-11-76662A can not be used to harmonize goodness of printing with goodness of embroidering. The reason is that in the device disclosed in JP-11-76662A only contour lines of embroidery regions are obtained from embroidery data and each area surrounded by each contour line (each embroidery region) is filled with a color corresponding to a color designation code assigned to each embroidery region before performing an embroidering operation based on the embroidery data, and therefore all of the embroidery regions are filled with respective solid colors. The technique disclosed in JP-11-76662A can not enable an operator of the device to designate a part of the embroidery regions as printing regions to be targeted for printing.